Monday 24 September 2018

Frocktails Outfit Inspiration!

Our lovely Treasurer, Kate, has put together a FANTASTIC post with all sorts of Frocktails outfit inspo!!


If you’re reading this post, I hope you’re thinking about coming to our inaugural Frocktails event!!  It will be a wonderful evening of enjoying food, conversation, and fashion with fellow Ottawa-area sewists.

You may also be wondering what to make to wear? I am so excited to offer some ideas of what you could make for Frocktails.  I have taken inspiration from the runway and red carpets of the world, and I hope you are inspired by these garments. I also lucked out with the Emmy awards taking place on September 17, providing an influx of gowns and suits to populate this post with!


VELVET
Velvet has been a huge trend this year, as seen here on Blake Lively in Brunello Cucinelli. A 2-piece suit could be a chic way to wear velvet to Frocktails. Lady Gaga rocked an Armani PrivΓ© velvet dress at TIFF this year, and Keira Knightley wore a velvet suit by Bora Asku for her appearance on the Late Show with Seth Meyers. Velvet is a cozy choice for fall and winter, which may be perfect for mid-November in Ottawa! 






JUMPSUITS/PANTS/SUITS
2018 has been the year of ladies in pants and jumpsuits on the red carpet. If you don’t like skirts, or don’t want to brave November weather in one, this might be your jam.  Jessica Chastain wears one by Roland Mouret in a solid colour, while Leslie Jones wears a Christian Siriano suit in an iridescent fabric. These are both chic options to dress up but still be comfortable in pants. Kate McKinnon and the Duchess of Sussex are both in black suits, but Kate’s is a slimmer cut with contrast cuffs, which Meghan’s is all black and with a flared pant leg. A black suit could be dressed up with a sparkly top (Ogden cami, anyone?), or worn without a shirt underneath with a statement necklace. Another option is a metallic jumpsuit, and I found an amazing example on Awkwafina.







A post shared by Kate McKinnon (@k.atemckinnon) on



No post on womenswear suits would be complete without mentioning this iconic Evan Rachel Wood look, in an Altuzarra tuxedo at the Golden Globes!




MENSWEAR

Menswear doesn’t have to be basic black! There have been many appearances of colour and texture on the red carpet this year, including examples from Henry Golding (first in a red velvet Giorgio Armani suit) and Chadwick Boseman in a metallic jacket. Henry Golding makes another appearance on our list of inspiration in a metallic Tom Ford jacket. RuPaul demonstrates how to wear a suit with an allover bold pattern, while John Mulaney wears a blue tuxedo for this year’s Emmy awards.  Also from the Emmys, Nikolaj Coster-Waldau wears a gorgeous gold ochre tuxedo jacket. These fun options would be perfect to wear to Frocktails.









BRIGHT COLOURS


If you like bright colours, I have great news for you! Frocktails is the perfect time to bust out a dress in a bold colour. Judith Light and Allison Janney both wore brightly coloured frocks to the Emmys this year, Judith in a yellow dress with a cape by Christian Siriano, and Allison Janney in a gorgeous asymmetrical sequined Prabal Gurung dress. Tadashi Shoji’s SS19 collection included tons of gowns in gorgeous, bold ombre colours (seriously, google this collection). Finally, Thandie Newton is in a low-cut velvet dress in a rich green by Oscar de la Renta.







FLORALS

Florals have also made a bit of a comeback fpr 2018. Tadashi Shoji’s Insta feed had this gorgeous floral and black lace dress. Ann Dowd wore a beautiful floral dress by Christian Siriano to this year’s Emmy awards. A bold floral fabric could be used to make a maxi skirt or dress, similar to this skirt by Alice and Olivia!




OTHER STUFF I LOVED

I found a few other dresses that I love, but weren’t in any of the “themes” I chose, so they are listed here. Awkwafina in Reem Acra, in a beautiful solid pastel colour. Almost any fit-and-flare dress pattern could be used to make a dress inspired by this one! (ALSO SLEEVES!) Alex Borstein wore a beautiful metallic dress to the Emmys, that ALSO HAS SLEEVES (there might be a bit of a trend here). Lady Gaga recently wore an Iris Van Herpen gown that is ethereal, in a pale blue. Blake Lively is on my list again, combining high-waisted pants with a cowl-backed top for a different twist on a classic silhouette. The Ocean’s 8 cast wears many of the trends listed in this post. Finally, I had to include Jonathan Van Ness, in a Maison Margiela gown, because it’s f***ing fabulous.








A post shared by Blake Lively (@blakelively) on




Frocktails is about getting to make yourself something to wear for a night out, so go ahead and make whatever brings you joy!

Happy sewing, and hope to see you at Frocktails!